# 2 Kitchen Essentials- The Food Processor

The Food Processor

For the serious cook, the food processor is a must. Shredding, slicing, puréeing, fine chopping are just a few of the techniques to accomplish with the food processor.

The slicing blade of the processor produces an excellent result on all types of vegetables. A selection, of different sized thicknesses, gives you a wide variety of options and reduces the time it takes to prep large quantities. Endless options abound, slice carrots for dinner quickly. The processor makes quick work of shredding cabbage in uniformly even slices for slaw or a red cabbage recipe. Want to slice onions for French Onion soup, without looking like the dog just died, the processor is the answer. Pickles by the barrelful are a snap.

The grating blade produces fine julienne vegetables as well as shredding cheese, fruits and vegetables. Julienne slices of carrots or beets for a salad. Shredding cheddar to add to a sauce or mozzarella for a topping takes no time at all.

However the most used tool of this versatile machine, for me, are the blades. To finely chop herbs, to produce pesto, chop meat, purée a gazpacho, nothing can surpass the processor blade. I found my favorite pie dough recipe in a cook book, and this flaky dough is made in the processor. The dough never fails to come out perfectly and easily, in the processor. It makes the recipe so easy I often produce a number of batches in a day and freeze them for future use. When the basil in the garden is abundant, I make large batches of pesto and freeze it. Making mayonnaise is a breeze, add the garlic for a great aioli. You can take chunks of meat add spices and produce your own sausage. Chop beef and pork for a great meatball or meatloaf recipe.

The price of these machines has come down since I bought my first one many years ago. An inexpensive model is a great way to learn the uses and test out what accessories work best for you. Once you learn what chores the machine can perform for you and your cooking style, you can upgrade. Check out the many reviews on line. See what each model has to offer and then pick the machine best suited to you.

You’ll save many hours of tedious preparation with the food processor. With the time saved, even the most complex recipes will be easy.

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